Prop. 8 Plaintiffs Marry In California, After Stay Is Lifted

Kris Perry, left, kisses Sandy Stier as they are married at City Hall in San Francisco Friday. The two got their marriage license after a federal appeals court cleared the way for California counties to resume issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has lifted a stay that had kept counties from issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. The court is in San Francisco, where City Hall currently sports rainbow-colored lights in honor of Gay Pride weekend.

Jeff Chiu
/ AP

Originally published on June 28, 2013 8:24 pm

Same-sex marriages have now resumed in California, after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday removed a stay that had kept counties from issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. The court's move comes two days after the Supreme Court ruled on a case involving the state's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage.

Update at 8:05 p.m. ET: First Gay Marriage After Prop 8

Kristin Perry and Sandy Stier, who were plaintiffs in the Proposition 8 case, "were first in line at San Francisco City Hall waiting to get their marriage license," reports SF Gate.

And they held a ceremony immediately. Photos from the scene show State Attorney General Kamala Harris officiating, as the couple stands in front of a large crowd.

SF Gate reports that San Francisco's City Hall will stay open late Friday, and through the weekend, to handle the marriage requests.

Our original post continues:

After the Supreme Court's ruling this week, initial reports stated that the circuit court would take 25 days to act, a result of the delay between a decision's being made and the lower court's being officially informed of the ruling.

With the stay lifted, gay marriages can resume almost immediately.

After this week's Proposition 8 ruling, California Gov. Jerry Brown said he "directed the California Department of Public Health to advise the state's counties that they must begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in California as soon as the Ninth Circuit confirms the stay is lifted."

In that statement, Brown also said the Department of Health would send a letter to county officials when the stay is lifted.

As The Two-Way reported Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the sponsors of Proposition 8 did not have legal standing to defend the law in court, after California's government had declined to defend it. As a result, the case was referred back to the circuit court.